Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Spirit Airlines Capitalizes on Schwarzenegger-Shriver Split

Hollywood Reporter: Spirit Airlines, known for its controversial ads, is now poking fun at the news that Arnold Schwarzenegger fathered a child with a longtime staffer.

A video on its website features a house maid in a racy uniform. "Sexy maid acquired," it reads (à la Terminator). Then, a new message appears. It reads: "Fares so low, you can take the whole family! Including that half-brother you just met."

Twitter exploded Tuesday with a series of jokes after the sad news broke. "I guess all spy skills from True Lies helped Arnold Schwarzenegger keep that kid hidden from his wife," wrote one. Another person teased, "Twitter to expand to 150 characters to accommodate tweets about Schwarzenegger."

But the issue is hardly a laughing matter for the Schwarzenegger family. "This is a painful and heartbreaking time," Maria Shriver said in a statement Tuesday. "As a mother, my concern is for the children. I ask for compassion, respect and privacy as my children and I try to rebuild our lives and heal. I will have no further comment."

Patrick Schwarzenegger, the couple's 17-year-old son, also took to Twitter. "Some days you feel like s––, some days you want to quit and just be normal for a bit," he wrote, "yet i love my family till death do us apart."